#StartupTicker
+++ #StartupTicker +++ Layoffs: DeepL cuts 250 jobs (quarter of the workforce) +++ Motatos is withdrawing from Germany +++ Which AI startups investors are really interested in now +++ Life after a million-dollar exit +++ This is how Sizeless works +++
What’s up New? In ours #StartupTicker we provide a compact overview of the most important startup news of the day (Friday, May 8th).
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STARTUPLAND: Founders. VCs. Visionaries
+++ Our fourth STARTUPLAND Conference will take place on March 10, 2027 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. A fascinating journey into the startup scene awaits you again – with lectures from successful founders, educational interviews and pitches that inspire. More about STARTUPLAND
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DeepL
+++ Hard cut for the AI unicorn! The Cologne-based AI company DeepL, known for its translation services, is cutting 250 jobs (a quarter of the workforce) and completely restructuring its strategy. “This decision wasn’t made lightly – it is the most I’ve had to make in my career. However, it is a deliberate structural decision about how difficult DeepL needs to operate to remain a global AI leader,” writes founder Jarek Kutylowski on Linkedin. In short: the powerful AI competition is putting a massive strain on DeepL. In the wake of the layoffs, Kutylowski also announced further major changes: “We are completely reshaping how we operate, with AI at the center – not just in the products we create, but in how we work every day.” A development that many companies are currently going through. This double blow is therefore hardly shocking news, but rather an expected reaction to the incredible change that is currently taking place everywhere. DeepL now has to become faster again in order to keep up with the global AI competition. According to its own information, DeepL currently has over 200,000 business customers. The company was most recently valued at $2 billion. The planned IPO of DeepL seems to have moved further away for now. (Linkedin) More about DeepL
Mototos
+++ Withdrawal! The Swedish online supermarket Motatos (part of Matsmart), which is all about saving food, is withdrawing from Germany. “Given the current market dynamics, we have decided to concentrate our efforts on expanding our presence in the Nordic countries,” the company said about the withdrawal. Motatos was launched in Germany in 2020. According to its own information, the company has “around 300,000 active customers” in this country. The rescue shop achieved sales of 35 million euros. But the business was far from profitable. Online supermarkets are and will remain a difficult business in Germany. The Berlin Motatos competitor Sirplus has also had to experience this. The company slipped into bankruptcy in 2024 and then managed to restart with a significantly changed concept in front of and behind the scenes. More about Sirplus
Million exit
+++ Worth reading! Over at Tagesspiegel, Blinkist founder Sebastian Klein, who has transferred around 90% of his assets to a foundation, talks about his life after the million-dollar exit. “My impression was: These millions are now too much. Things are happening that are bad for me as an individual and also for the rest of society,” he says, among other things. As a reminder: The Berlin startup Blinkist moved under the Go1 umbrella in 2023 (purchase price around 200 million). After the exit, Klein set up the community-oriented investment fund Karma Capital. “I donated the money, it is permanently dedicated to charitable purposes, so I can’t take it out again,” explains the ex-millionaire. (Tagesspiegel) More about Blinkist
AI startups
+++ The current AI phase is characterized less by possibilities than by implementation. Companies expect reliable solutions instead of experiments. Investors pay more attention to real usage rather than promises. More in the guest article by Hauke Hansen (AI.FUND)
Sizeless
+++ The road until Sizeless became a startup was long! “The development was technically demanding, which is why we dreamed, built and validated the university startup ecosystem for several years before it was officially founded,” says founder Leander Peters. More about sizeless
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Investments & Exits
+++ Healthcare group Fresenius invests in HealthTech Avelios Medical +++ HealthTech ViViRA raises capital +++ Financial injection for Onyx Biotech. More in the deal monitor
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